Based on the British series of the same name, the American version of Ghosts was adapted by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman in 2021. The show follows married couple Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), who inherit the Woodstone mansion from Sam’s relative, and decide to make it a bed and breakfast inn. Unknown to them, the house is filled with various ghosts who have died on the property. After Sam has a near-death experience, she gains the ability to see the ghosts; she is then drawn into their existence and conflicts, while still having to manage her own. The show did well in its first season, and was quickly picked up for its second season, which is currently airing and has brought in a bit more popularity. If you’re not watching this quirky, heartfelt comedy, here are some reasons it’s worth a watch.
Sam and Jay are great characters who have a funny and loving relationship filled with banter. They’re strong on their own, but their greatness is matched and made even better by the memorable ghosts. Each ghost is unique in character, personality, and time period, ranging from Revolutionary War soldier Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) – who Comic Book Resources considers one of the show’s most likable characters – and Prohibition-Era Jazz singer Alberta (Danielle Pinnock), to more recent ghosts like Pinecone Troop leader Pete (Richie Moriarty), who died in 1985, and Trevor (Asher Grodman), a Wall Street executive who died in 2000. Even older ghosts include Thor (Devan Chandler Long), a Viking who died after being struck by lightning, and Sasappis (Román Zaragoza), a Lenape Native American.
They’re a strange group of ghosts, but each one brings something unique, and they all work perfectly together as one big family that grows to include Sam and Jay. Despite not being able to see the ghosts, Jay is able to share in the dynamic through Sam, who keeps him updated on the ghosts’ events. It keeps things exciting and fresh with so many different characters, perspectives, and types of humor.
Fun Comedy with Touching Moments
Ghosts CBSCBS
The show has great fun with its premise, and often makes use of scenes where we’re not always aware of the ghosts. Sam and Jay will be having a personal conversation we think is private, for instance, but when the shot switches back to them, we see ghosts in the background, listening in. There’s also all the fun in the ghosts having such differing views from different time periods, and getting confused in trying to describe modern things, like TV. In one of the show’s funniest episodes, Jay’s body is possessed by Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), former lady of Woodstone. Watching Jay act prim and proper makes for hilarious moments that are a fun spin on ghostly possession.
Among the clever comedy, there are also touching and emotional moments. In what TV Insider considers the show’s most emotional episode, Pete has Sam invite his wife to the house. While there, he learns that she cheated on him while he was alive. He is able to forgive her, and later sees his grandson, who is named after him. It’s a touching moment of Pete getting to see the family he left behind. Trevor, who is often cool and carefree, confronts the night he was left for dead by the co-workers he thought were his friends. Sasappis, who died before he could achieve his dream of becoming a storyteller, is invited by Sam to tell stories to the group one night, and delights in getting to share his gift.
Even Sam gets to share this, when she goes home to try and see her dead mother, who disapproved of her career choices, and is able to get closure before her mother spiritually moves on. Even after death, the ghosts still struggle with things in the present and in the past. The show allows them all room to shine and grow, with emotional moments that are relatable and bring depth to what could be an ordinary comedy.
Finally, Ghosts puts a fun and friendly spin on typically scary ghost themes. Though the basement ghosts, who huddle in the corner, can be scary, the humor wins out, as it does with the main ghosts, who are mostly kind. When they find out what the term “ghosting” means, they’re even offended at the implication that ghosts would be that rude. Even when they wanted to haunt Sam and Jay, they were unable to accomplish it, since none of them can fully touch things. It all establishes them as kind, funny ghosts who are treated as fully human, rather than being seen as scary or inferior. They have fears, regrets, and desires, and they even have crushes on the other ghosts, like Flower (Sheila Carrasco) and Thor, or Isaac and the British soldier he accidentally killed. It’s a warm approach to a ghost story – one that is more about the jo
